Bellringer Newsletter
April 17, 2023
Principal's Message
Good morning and welcome back. I hope that everyone had a restful April Vacation and is ready for the final stretch of the school year. Please continue to check the Important Dates and Reminders section of the Bellringer Newsletter for a schedule of upcoming events. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me directly at everner@easthamptonct.org.
Important Dates and Reminders
- April 19--Music Department--Broadway Trip
- April 20--Senior Capstone Expo (4:00--5:30)
- April 26--NHS Induction Ceremony (5:30)
- May 17--NHS Talent Show (6:30)
- May 20--Interact--Relay for Life
- May 25--EHHS Academic Awards Ceremony (6:00)
- May 26--Senior Class Picnic---Lake Compounce
- May 26--Sophomore Class Trip--Holiday Hill
- May 29--Memorial Day--No School EHHS
- June 1--EHHS Spring Concert--6:30
- June 2---EHHS Junior-Senior Prom
- June 5--Top 10 Celebration (Town Hall)
- June 8--Senior Scholarship Evening
- June 9---EHHS Graduation--6:00
- June 13--Last Day of School--Early Dismissal
Class of 2023 Graduation
Class of 2023 Lawn Signs
Happy National School Library Month
2023 EHHS Music Depratment Cabaret Evening
Profile of the Graduate Digital Portfolios
The Profile of the Graduate Portfolio process has begun for the classes of 2025 and 2026. Students are developing a Google Site that they will use over the course of their high school career to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their growth and development of the five attributes in the East Hampton Public Schools: compassion, innovation, perseverance, collaboration, and active learning. This portfolio will display various achievements, projects, and activities over the course of the high school experience that will show attainment of skills, broadening of horizons, and pursuit of passions. Students will reflect on experiences, strengths, and abilities to confidently approach challenges. During XBlock students used a template developed by the Portfolio Committee, wrote a brief autobiography and are crafting their paragraphs explaining their understanding of the core values. By the end of the school year, students will have written about each of the values and uploaded examples of their work. Ultimately, this work will become part of their Senior Capstone beginning with the Class of 2025.
Athletic Department Updates
Varsity Baseball was defeated by The Morgan School 13-14 and H-K 1-7 and defeated Westbrook 14-4. Their current regular season record is 2-4. They are scheduled to play at Old Saybrook on Tuesday and home vs Portland on Thursday.
Junior Varsity Baseball defeated The Morgan School 8-5 and was defeated by HK 6-15. Their current regular season record is 1-3. They are scheduled to play at Portland on Friday.
Varsity Softball did not play last week. Their current regular season record is 2-1. They are scheduled to play at East Windsor/SMSA co-op on Monday, at home vs H-K on Wednesday, at Portland on Thursday and at Westbrook/Old Saybrook co-op on Friday.
Varsity Boys Tennis was defeated by The Morgan School 0-7, H-K 0-7 and Valley Regional 0-7. Their current regular season record is 0-6. They are scheduled to play at hme vs Cromwell on Wednesday.
Varsity Girls Tennis was defeated by The Morgan School 1-6 and Valley Regional 1-6. Their current regular season record is 0-5. They are scheduled to play at home vs H-K on Tuesday, at Cromwell on Wednesday and at home vs North Branford on Thursday.
Varsity Golf was defeated by Coginchaug and Lyman Hall. Their current regular season record is 0-2. They are not scheduled to play this week.
Varsity Track teams opened their season with the Bellringer Invitational. They are scheduled to compete on Tuesday at home vs Cromwell and The Morgan School and this Friday and Saturday in The Wildcat Relays at Lyme-Old Lyme High School.
All athletic schedules, directions and results may be found at CIACSPORTS.com.
EHHS Sports Bosters Golf Tournament
School Counseling News
Take Classes at Wesleyan University for Free!
The Wesleyan University High School Scholars Program offers outstanding high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take one Wesleyan University course per semester for credit, tuition-free. Students who apply to the program are expected to provide their own transportation to and from Wesleyan University and fulfill all requirements of the Wesleyan course they are enrolled in.
Students wishing to peruse Wesleyan’s full course listing for 2023-2024 can do so at the website below. Double-click on any subject of interest and select “Fall” for a list of related courses being offered during the Fall 2023 semester.
We invite interested students to apply for this unique experience by end of day Tuesday, April 25th, 2023. In addition to providing basic student and high school counselor contact information, the application requires a short (250 word or less) statement of interest by the student as well the student’s most recent high school transcript and most recent quarterly or term grades. Students may apply and submit their application electronically at the website below.
College Open House
- Central Connecticut State University invites you to an Undergraduate Open House on April 15th from 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm. This event includes a student led tour, an "Ask a Blue Devil" station and get tips about admissions and financial aid. Please see the attached flier for registration information.
Summer LEAD (Leadership, Enrichment, Access & Diversity) Program by the University of Connecticut provides an opportunity for outstanding, rising Connecticut high school seniors, especially from diverse and underserved populations in post-secondary education, to experience college life on the UConn Storrs campus. This all-expenses covered program will take place July 16-19, 2023 and will provide your students with the opportunity to:
- attend sample classes and personal development sessions
- connect with faculty, staff, and current UConn students
- learn about the college admission and financial aid processes
- experience a taste of college life while gaining independence and confidence
Georgetown University invites students to apply for their Pre-College Online Summer Program. Get the experience of a top college before you even graduate from high school. With online courses designed to develop your unique talents and dreams, you can explore subjects of interest while learning to think like someone in the field. Please view the attached flier for more information and a QR code to Georgetown's application.
Join the UConn Pre-College Summer community where we provide high school students educational opportunities to explore, create, and pursue their passions through a residential summer program. Students enroll in a course taught by UConn faculty or industry professionals, participate in exploratory workshops intended to help students prepare for college both academically and socially, and engage in social activities designed to assist with the transition to college. Get a taste of what college life is like, before college, at the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus. There are 5 sessions and over 30 areas to choose from which include pre-law, pre-med, video game design and equine science, to name a few. Visit https://precollege-summer.uconn.edu/ to learn more and apply.
Senior Scholarships Available!!!!
This time of year is perfect for seniors to start exploring and applying for scholarships! East Hampton High School currently has over 80 scholarships students can apply for. Students can find these scholarships by logging into their Naviance accounts. They should then click "Colleges" located at the top, then click "Scholarship Search" in the drop down menu. Scholarships are listed in deadline order and if students click "See Full Details" on the right, they can learn more about the scholarship. If the scholarship has an online application, there will be a link available. If the scholarship has a paper application students can download the application, fill it out, and bring it to the guidance office. School counselors will add the student's transcript and letters of recommendation as needed, and the guidance office will mail the application for student. Please see Mrs. Bullett or your school counselor if you have any questions.
Family and Consumer Science Fundraiser
The Bellringer's Guide to Good Food
This fundraiser is the East Hampton High School Culinary Arts digital cookbook. Included in this guide are secret family recipes provided by students and community members that cannot be found anywhere else but here. The idea of this fundraiser is to sell this digital cookbook as a yearly subscription, and every year you can renew your subscription and gain access to the new culinary arts class's secret family recipes.
Your generous contributions to this site help our program grow and provide unique culinary related learning experiences, specialized ingredients, and professional equipment for our students. You can purchase your access to the fundraiser with the link provided at the suggested donation price of $10 https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/56523.
Thank you for your contributions.
SBHC----School Based Health Care at EHHS
The East Hampton Public Schools is proud to introduce School Based Health Centers in each of our schools. Soon, enrolled students will be able to receive behavioral health services during the school day. The School-Based Health Care (SBHC) staff are licensed health care providers, who are able to deliver behavioral health services to students during the school day. They work in conjunction with the student’s primary care providers to support their social, emotional, and behavioral health care needs. SBHC is proud to serve over 17,000 students throughout Connecticut.
EHHS Project Graduation News
We are looking for parents to help support our programming.
Next Meeting--May 3--6:30 in the EHHS LMC
Please e-mail our group if you are interested in the following:
- Secretary – take notes at meetings. Send them out. Attend every meeting
- Treasurer – count. Mange spreadsheet of finances
- Social Media/website - promote group/events on Facebook and website
- Find corporate donations (work) -matching donations (United way)
Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Attendance Updates
Please review the EHHS Attendance Policy and Student Handbook as they contain important information.
Per the East Hampton Board of Education’s Attendance Policy and Connecticut statute, parents and guardians may only approve the first 9 absences of the school year with a parent note. Absences 10 and above can only be excused with further documentation and under specific circumstances.
In addition, if a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.
Access to the East Hampton attendance policy is available HERE
It is also necessary for a student to be present at least half of the school day for the student to be recorded as present. When a student arrives after the mid-day point or leaves before it, the day cannot be counted for that student. Building principals will share the specific times in their communications with families.
A student is considered to be “in attendance” if present at his/her assigned school, or an activity.
sponsored by the school (e.g., field trip), for at least half of the regular school day.
At East Hampton High School, half of the regular school day arrives at 10:55 a.m. This means that if a student arrives after 10:55, even with a note, the student will be marked Tardy Absent. If a student dismisses prior to 10:55 and does not return to school, the student will be marked Early Dismissal Absent. Please contact the school with any questions regarding our attendance policies.
To increase the ease of reporting an absence and documenting parent approval of the absence for a student’s first 9 absences, the East Hampton Public Schools has created email addresses that parents can use to contact their student’s school and report an absence. Effectively immediately, the following email addresses can be used by parents to report and document their approval of an absence:
EHHS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org
If you have successfully emailed the school, you will receive an autoreply that notifies you that the absence communication has been received and recorded. This process is effective for your student’s first 9 absences. After your student has more than 9 absences, additional documentation or communication will be required to excuse the absence. Please use the email to continue to notify the school that your child will not attend. You may call your child’s school at any time to report an absence, as well.
TIP LINE
EHHS Bellringer Spirit Wear
We are excited to launch our new Bellringer Sideline Store! The store is available 24/7 and ships directly to you!!!
Please see the link below to grab your Bellringer gear
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/connecticut/easthampton/east-hampton-high-school
Student Attendance and Dismissal Reminders
Students who are being dismissed due to illness, MUST FIRST see the School Nurse. Additionally, we ask that parents familiarize themselves with our attendance policy which is in the EHHS Student Handbook. Some of the main policies/procedures that we are mut be followed are listed below:
- EARLY DISMISSALS: A written request (no phone calls) from a parent or guardian must be presented to the main office before school begins so student may obtain an early dismissal slip. Students will wait in the main office for their parent/guardian to call the office and we will send your child out to meet you after they sign-out.
- NURSE DISMISSALS: In case of illness during school, dismissal will be arranged through the school nurse, or in her absence, through the office. Students feeling ill should report directly to the nurse's office. Students should not be texting or calling home when not feeling well.
Please note that having a parent’s written request before the start of the day allows the students name to appear on the Daily Attendance sheet so their teachers will be aware that they may not be in class on that day. This also eliminates the office staff from calling in and disrupting a classroom to dismiss the student. We do realize that there may be occasions when you may need to unexpectedly pick your child up early. In those cases we will call the student down when the parent/guardian arrives to the school.
Students that are dismissed from school will not be allowed to return without appropriate documentation from their visit/provider. In the event that doucmentation is not available, a parent will be required to sign their student into the main office upon return.
Safety and Security Enhancements
- Dropping off on items--the table to drop off items for students has been moved inside the first set of doors. Parents will be able to drop items of for students, but will no longer be admitted to the main lobby.
- Appointments--for security reasons, parents and visitors who are requesting to meet with a teacher or administration should call in advance to ensure that the requested party is available to meet rather than show up unannounced.
- Effective immediately, there is an anonymous tip line to enhance a safe environment in our schools. Students, parents, and community members have access to the front page of the website to report self-concerns, mental health concerns of a friend, or concerns of violence. https://www.easthamptonps.org/
Board of Education Statement on School Safety
The East Hampton Board of Education is committed to a safe and secure learning environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. The Board of Education in partnership with the school community will not tolerate any threat of violence in the schools or any hate speech that targets any race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Each student is held to the highest standards of responsible decision making within a culture that is expected to foster compassion, caring, and empathy.
Reminder of policy regarding the use of Police Dogs
As a reminder to members of our school community, Board Policy #5145.122 allows the schools to work with the East Hampton Police Department to protect the health and safety of students and staff by conducting sweeps of school property by trained sniffing dogs. Please review the policy and procedures below. Our goal is to ensure that the East Hampton Schools are free of illegal substances. Annually, we provide notice of this policy to our school community. Should a sweep be conducted, parents and the Board of Education will be notified upon completion.
Use of Dogs to Sweep School Property
The Board permits the administration to invite law enforcement agencies to sweep school property with dogs trained for the purpose of detecting the presence of illegal substances, when necessary to protect the health and safety of students, employees or property or to detect the presence of illegal substances or contraband, including alcohol and/or drugs. The use of trained canine sniffing dogs and their associated law enforcement personnel is for the purpose of “alerting” on property only, and is subject to the following:
1. Parents and students shall be notified of this policy through its inclusion in the student/ parent handbook and the Superintendent and Principal or their designees, shall explain the policies and procedures followed in sweeps and searches to students and staff on an annual basis. Once notification has been given to parents and students through the handbook and assembly respectively, the school district will have met its obligation to advertise the sweep and search policy and associated procedure. Additional notices need not be given and actual times or dates of planned sweeps need not be released in advance.
2. The Superintendent or designee shall authorize the sweep. Immediately prior to the sweep, an announcement will be made for students and staff to ‘stay put’ in their classrooms while the sweep is taking place. Representatives from school administration shall accompany dogs and handlers while on school premises.
3. The Board shall be informed by the Superintendent of Schools that a sweep has taken place.
4. Parents shall be informed through the school’s mass communication system by the Superintendent of Schools that a sweep has taken place.
5. All school property which students have access to during the day, such as lockers, classrooms, parking areas and storage areas may be swept.
6. Individuals shall not be subjected to a search by dogs.
a. Dogs shall not be used in rooms occupied by persons except for demonstration purposes. The handler and representative from school administration will always be present with the dogs
b. When used for demonstration purposes, the dog may not sniff any student and/or staff.
7. Only the dog’s official handler will determine what constitutes an alert by the dog. If the dog alerts on a particular item or place, that locker or vehicle will be identified for later search. Upon completion of the sweep, the school administration will then search the identified property in the presence of a witness.
8. Searches that disclose evidence of misconduct shall result in disciplinary consequences in accordance with Board policy and may also result in referral to law enforcement agencies.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
Policy adopted: March 15, 2016
New Jersey v T.L.O., 53 U.S.L.W. 4083 (1985)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools
The school community of East Hampton is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nondiscrimination Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools
The East Hampton Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal employment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability (including but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability, or learning disability), genetic information, marital status, or age or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, or age of any persons with whom the individual associates. The District shall provide to all students without discrimination, course offerings, counseling, assistance, employment, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The District shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.
East Hampton High School
Email: everner@easthamptonct.org
Website: www.easthamptonps.org
Location: 15 North Maple Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: 860-365-4030
Twitter: @EH_CTPrincipal
